Administering & Managing Mac OS X Leopard Server provides a comprehensive introduction to supporting and managing Mac OS X and Windows (XP and Vista) clients in a network environment.  The book focuses primarily on the use of Mac OS X Leopard Server as a platform for providing file and print services, network-based collaborative tools, system deployment option, client and user management, network services such as DNS and DHCP, and directory services.  The book is designed to address real-world situations as well as provide theoretical understanding of systems and server processes involved in serving a Mac or cross-platform network.

Although this book focuses on performing systems and server administration tasks using Mac OS X Leopard Server, it also includes comprehensive information about how to design and manage an environment that includes Windows Server machines.  Windows Server will be looked at in two contexts: as the sole server platform in a network that must be used to manage Mac clients and in environments where Windows Server and Mac OS X Server are both present.  In my experience, there is a great desire on the part of Windows systems administrators for such comprehensive coverage.

Unlike other books on the market that just discuss Mac OS X Server, this book focuses on Mac OS X Server as a component in the larger scheme of system administration tasks.  As a result, it focuses on how setup and manage a server as well as how to work with client technologies.  It also covers Mac OS X Server's ability to integrate with other technologies, such as Windows Server and Microsoft's Active Directory to achieve the best possible client support and management experience.

Note: The author is presently revising this book to cover Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server, and we will publish revised material in Rough Cuts as soon as Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server is publicly released. For customers who have already purchased the Rough Cuts edition of this book, please note that the material currently available in Rough Cuts does not cover the Snow Leopard release (v 10.6), and only covers Mac OS X Leopard Server (v 10.5), which is the current publicly available release. If you have already purchased the Rough Cuts edition for Mac OS X Leopard Server, your purchase will be carried forward, and you will have access to the Snow Leopard edition as soon as we are able to release that to the public.